The high school is a place that many people highly respect. Students work hard, join teams and clubs and try their best in classes. Despite all of these positives, there is one major problem: school starts too early. In addition this year the high school moved school even earlier, decreasing the amount of sleep students get per night. Many students I know, and myself, don’t get enough sleep, making learning harder than it needs to be and increasing their already stressful lives.
Teenagers need more sleep than adults. According to the National Institute of Health and the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night. At the high school, many students, including myself, wake up before 6:30 a.m. to prepare and commute to school.
This makes it very difficult for students to get enough sleep, especially when homework, sports and activities keep students busy late in the day. When tired, concentrating, remembering information and staying awake is more difficult. Lack of sleep also affects students’ mental health, causing students to feel anxious, sad, and frustrated.
I’ve noticed that some of my classmates even fall asleep in class, not because they don’t care, but because their bodies are exhausted. A 2021 study by the Centers for Disease Control found that 20 to 30 percent of high school students fall asleep in class, and 70 percent of high school students nationwide do not get sufficient sleep.
One solution to this problem is a later start time for the school day. For example, many schools in states such as California, Florida and Seattle, have moved start times later, which has resulted in better attendance, better grades and happier students. In the past 24 years, over 500 school districts in the United States have moved school start times later. Brookline should do the same.
Lack of sleep not only affects learning, but their’ physical safety and health, too. Many students drive themselves or ride with peers to school. Driving while tired can be just as dangerous as driving drunk. Sleep deprivation slows reaction time and makes it harder to stay alert, increasing the risk of car accidents. In addition, students who participate in sports are more likely to get injured when they are exhausted, since fatigue affects coordination and focus. Lack of sleep can also weaken the immune system, causing students to get sick more often and miss more school. Starting school later could help reduce these safety risks and keep students healthier.
Some people I have talked to argue that starting school later would interfere with sports schedules, after-school jobs or parents’ work schedules. While these concerns are understandable, many school districts that have moved to later start times have successfully adjusted without major issues. While adjustments took time, research by The School Superintendent Association showed that most concerns about what later start times would affect, like transportation, childcare and jobs, decreased after implementation. The benefits of improved sleep outweigh these scheduling challenges. Students who are more rested are more productive, focused and emotionally stable, making the overall school environment better.
The high school wants its students to succeed. In the handbook it says, “We adult types will assist you in achieving success.” If that is true, then the school should listen to what students need. More sleep means better grades, more engaged classes and an overall better learning environment. Starting school later would be a smart and beneficial change in the lives of students and teachers.
